Of Swords and Arrows
by Dandypear
Summary: No one ever said marriage was easy.
1. Introduction

Cold eyes stared idly at the target; her arms pulled the arrow back until the bow was taut. Releasing the arrow, the arrow flew fast and true, striking the bullseye with such an impact, the snow fell from the target as it gave a small, violent shake. With her second arrow drawn, Ashe felt herself disturbed, heavy footsteps in the snow shuffled towards her. Before she could release her second arrow Ashe, found herself relaxing her grip, and when they neared, Ashe finally spoke, but her composure neither faltered, nor even moved at the slightest, aside from her form lowering the bow slightly. "Tryndamere," she greeted simply. Her husband, a gruff man, a barbarian king, had finally returned home. "You return victorious." Ashe observed softly, but her eyes never left the target.

"You know so much without even so much as a simple greeting from me." Tryndamere spoke quietly, his eyes trailed over his wife's form. She was always on point and always outside practicing with her bow and arrow. Sometimes Tryndamere wondered when the Frost Archer ever slept. His nights were often spent with his wife's side of the bed as cold as the outside land of Freljord.

"If it had ended in defeat – you wouldn't have returned so early, much less come out to greet me in person. You would much rather spend the rest of your night polishing your long sword. You're not one for talking when you're burdened with emotions, even emotions you're familiar with."

_Laughter._

It was an odd way to respond to her quip, but Ashe would take that answer over the outcome she had mentally predicted. Tryndamere wasn't the jolliest of all men to say the least, but he was quite merry after their hard worked victory at the League. He had been married to Ashe for at the very least a year, and even though 'quality time' wasn't something they 'did', he would at least admit to knowing the woman he had married - and yet she never ceased to surprise Tryndamere. Though she was steadfast and confident in her abilities, she never revealed them until she needed them. She was a master at perception and observation both of her allies and her enemies.

"Yes, you are correct of that." A heavy hand fell upon Ashe's shoulder, causing her smaller body to tremble under the touch of a brute. "But today is a day to celebrate, not to be spent in the snow drawing bows in suspense of battle. We have won a battle, and it is time to feast and to drink."

"Then go inside, and proceed to do so." Ashe drew her arrow back once more, even with Tryndamere's heavy hand resting upon her shoulder; the Frost Archer released an accurate arrow.

Though the battle at the League had been won, the battle at home was still raging, and Tryndamere sensed that this was a good moment of retreat. There was no point in fighting a losing battle, even he knew that, Undying Rage had its limits. "So be it." He answered, pulling his hand away from the woman's shoulder before disappearing into the thick of the trees behind her.

With her third bow notched, Ashe's eyes narrowed at the target, she wouldn't return into the castle until her entire quiver of arrows had been emptied. Long after Tryndamere had disappeared into their home, Ashe remained outside, despite her frost bitten lips and her shivering appearance, Ashe continued to perfect her already accurate shot. Even the boisterous laughter of her husband could not – would not, deter the Frost Archer's shot.

A/N: It's very short, but it's an introduction and a starting place.

I hope to post Chatper II soon.

R&R


	2. Empty Bed

She had been outside for hours; snow had nipped at every part of exposed flesh. Locks of silvery strands were beginning to look duller with each passing minute, and even Ashe's skin was beginning to take on the hue of freshly fallen snow. She no longer had flushed cheeks of exhaustion, as it seemed she had been outside so long that her body barely could circulate coloring to her cheeks. Sharp blue eyes that normally observed her surroundings steadily, now only stared straightforward at the abused target. The target, though already old and riddled with holes had certainly seen better days. Even the returning steps of her husband no longer fazed Ashe to even answer him with a greeting.

"You missed dinner." Tryndamere stared idly at his wife. The Barbarian King was never a man of many words, often times it was more convenient simply to slay your problem or to walk away from it. His wife was something he could neither slay nor walk away from. Reaching out, the man touched his wife's shoulder gently, before withdrawing sharply, regardless of the fact that Ashe had barely even perceived Tryndamere's touch at all. Tryndamere tried once more, "You've been out here for hours. Come inside, rest, it's already dark – I'm not even sure how you're hitting the target when the vision of it is no better than looking into the Fog of War."

Ashe's lips pursed carefully. Chapped skin scraped silently against one another as the Frost Archer continued to stare at her arrow-riddled target. "Go to bed, I'll retire later."

"I sleep in an empty bed often enough. It would be nice to have a bed that's made for two, actually have two bodies in it."

"What did you do before we were married? Surely your bed wasn't always filled. Retire and sleep. I wish to stay outside."

Throwing his hands up in frustration the Barbarian King reached out, a gruff hand bravely grabbing onto his wife's shoulder before turning the Queen to face him. Ashe could barely see Tryndamere's face, but she could tell the way his chest heaved, the way his fingertips dug into the hollow between her collar bone and her shoulder, the very way he shifted his weight forward onto the balls of his feet – he was mad. "Come to bed." He nearly growled the three words. Tryndamere had come out with the best intentions of finding his wife, bringing her inside and simply retiring for the night to get a good night's sleep. But here, the woman was unyielding to even return to the castle with him! He had been married to Ashe for a year and even now the man couldn't understand how her stubbornness just crawled its way under his skin, it irritated him to the very core.

Ashe didn't speak; in fact she simply let her husband hold her still. The only movement Tryndamere could feel was the slight shiver that coursed through Ashe's body as the couple stood motionless and wordless in the snow. After an undetermined amount of time (enough time had passed that even Tryndamere was uncomfortable with the silence), the Barbarian King spoke up. His tone had changed, no longer angry or frustrated, instead it seemed tired, drained. "Why did you say yes?"

This caught Ashe's attention, "Yes? Yes to what?"

"To marrying me." Tryndamere's voice, though always gruff seemed unusually quiet now, as if standing in the snow had chilled his temper.

"Unity provides strength. And my people needed that. Your people needed it too." Ashe answered bluntly. "You're well aware why we were married, and why we are still married."

Tryndamere finally removed his hand from Ashe's shoulder. He never expected an answer any less than the one he received, but it still shocked him. Forced intimacy had many levels, and since the couple had been married the only way their relationship had evolved was that Ashe had allowed Tryndamere to convince her to share a room with him. Their free time was still spent separately and more often than not, they were always called at different times for the League. They were rarely placed on the same team, and even when they were, they were on opposite ends of the field.

"I'm going to retire for the night. Please don't stay out here for too much longer." The King allowed his chest to heave a heavy sigh his thick fingertips toying with a thin strand of Ashe's silver hair. She never showed a dislike for the small affectionate touches, but Tryndamere was almost sure that his touches were no more significant than a gnat landing upon her gauntlet.

* * *

Later than she expected, when Ashe finally gave into exhaustion and craved sleep, she found that **she** was the one sliding into a very cold and empty bed.

**A/N**: Blugh, chapter 2. Moving a little slowly, but I don't like rushing things. Thanks for the reviews guys!


	3. William Tell

Ashe woke up, as she had gone to bed – cold and alone. The feeling was foreign to her. While Tryndamere was accustomed to going to bed alone, by the time Ashe had joined him in bed, Tryndamere was normally snoring away into the night. The Frost Archer always made sure she was the first to rise before her husband could wake; she never felt the chill of his side being untouched. But now Ashe had risen out of bed and found her husband's side of the bed still had his sheets tucked under the mattress as well as an undisturbed pillow.

Sitting down in front of her vanity Ashe tiredly brushed her hair, the bristles sliding through the tangled silver mess she called hair as Ashe stared at the empty reflection. The dark circles under her eyes had never been so prominent as they were that morning, and even Ashe, a woman whose vanity often came second couldn't help but touch the darkened skin in disdain. Tugging at it gently, Ashe let out a bitter sigh before roughly placing the brush down upon the vanity. Standing up sharply the Frost Archer turned immediately to dress herself, but rather than facing her oaken armoire she faced armor. If Ashe had been scared, she certainly didn't show it, and instead she looked up, meeting her eyes with the taller figure, "Tell me, how does an ursine such as yourself, known for their ferocity and their power, manage to sneak up with the stealth of the Eye of Twilight?"

Volibear had been invited to Ashe and Tryndamere's home on account of the political issues that had arisen amongst the ursines. Volibear had come to settle them with the Freljord King and Queen. While his relationship to both Ashe and Tryndamere was platonic as well as political, when it came down to it, the ursine lord still had a great debt to uphold his duties to his tribe.

The ursine had been wandering around the castle, greeted by two timid maids the bear simply pushed the women aside as if they were nothing about feathers. He had business with the King and Queen, and it certainly didn't concern of the house servants. He knew the castle grounds as well as he knew the armor he wore – inside and out, it wasn't hard to find the King and Queen's bed chambers in a matter of minutes. But to his surprise, rather than find a King and Queen, Volibear's eyes landed only upon Ashe, still in her sleeping attire, her husband nowhere in sight. "Where is Tryndamere?" Behind closed doors, Volibear did not address Ashe and Tryndamere by their proper titles.

"Who knows." Ashe muttered nonchalantly, as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her night gown that seemed only she could see.

"Lover's spat?" The bear slowly dropped from his hind legs to all four and let out a deep yawn. Shaking his head slowly, Volibear's heavy armor rattled slightly with his movements as he eyed Ashe's face. Even on all fours, the woman seemed utterly petite compared to the bear's massive frame.

"A lover's spat would require a lover would it not?"

"And your own husband is not considered a lover?"

"You know our marriage is purely political Volibear. Just because we share a bed doesn't mean we've been intimate." Ashe headed towards the door slowly. "How can I call a man I was forced to marry my lover, if he was someone I had not even chosen with my own heart?" Ashe pursed her lips slowly her eyebrows furrowing at the thought. She felt guilty, guilty that she spoke of her husband in such an honest manner, even if she divulged such an opinion to a comrade. She respected Tryndamere as a man, and had grown accustomed to living side by side with him over the year – but she did not love him. "If your tribe was weak, and you were in my position, what would you have done?"

"The ursine are not known for their monogamy, we are fighters – not lovers. Whatever problems my tribe was having could be solved with claws and teeth – not marriage." Volibear commented slowly. "The closest thing to marriage we have done was our alliance with you."

The two wandered slowly into the dining hall in silence after Volibear's comment, and as the ursine entered the dining area he stared at Ashe's stoic expression, his heavy brow furrowing at her seeming discontent. She was never an easy one to read, whatever was going on in her head, never often showed on her face. She was a reader of people – their actions and their words, which in turn made the Frost Archer heavily conscious of her own actions.

As Ashe's steps started to quicken ahead of Volibear's, the ursine called out to her, causing the Frost Archer to turn sharply on the carpet, her eyebrows quirked in question. "Perhaps, you may not love the man, but you respect him don't you? If you didn't respect his power, and his very being you would not have agreed to marry him in the first place, even if your tribe was in peril." Ashe nodded her head slowly at the bear's comments. "You take something that is normally taken as a joyous union, as something that is simply serious and political. Even a political marriage needs something fueling it, perhaps if you showed that you at least care about him it'd lighten up the tension between you two."

Rather than argue with the bear (for, who would argue with an armored bear?), Ashe graciously took his advice with a grain of salt. "I'll try and make more of an effort towards Tryndamere." She murmured softly, "If only to get some peace between us. How can a kingdom respect their leaders, if the two leaders can't even appear to respect one another right?" Ashe walked on quietly before looking at the ursine with a small smirk, "For a 'fighter', you know quite a bit about relationships."

"I have a new relationship every month or so, I have a lot of practice." The bear laughed mightily as they attended breakfast.

* * *

After breakfast, Ashe found her husband easily, inside the weaponry polishing his swords. Whether he was upset, or simply in thought, the man always stuck with what he knew best: his weapons. Staring at the man who held his sword with such skilled hands, Ashe made her entrance noticeable enough that she watched Tryndamere's head lift slowly at the noise. Before Tryndamere could even comment on his wife's entrance, the Frost Archer chucked an apple she held unceremoniously at Tryndamere's head. The Barbarian caught it with little effort, staring at the red skin of the apple, confused. "Go ahead; put that apple on your head," Ashe finally commented. She didn't mention that he had missed breakfast, or that the fact that his beard, though normally shaped and neat, seemed scraggly and untamed, or even the fact that she hypothesized he had been in the weaponry since the night before. On the other hand, Tryndamere didn't mention the very fact that his wife had come into the weaponry was a rare enough occurrence that it set off a small alarm in Tryndamere's head. And even though they were surrounded by weapons, the fact that she was very much armed was an even rarer sight. Ashe had made it a habit, that though she wore her gauntlets around the interior of their home, she kept her bow outside. She had even chided him on one occasion that bows should only be drawn outside. So to watch his wife, still dressed in her silk, white night gown move in upon him like he was harmless prey ready for the slaughter was unnerving to say the very least.

"What do you think-"

"Go ahead; put that apple on your head." Ashe quipped before her husband could finish speaking. Blue eyes watched the man slowly oblige her, lifting the fruit to his head, balancing it on the oily slick black locks of hair. When the apple finally subsided from rocking on the uneven surface, the arrow Ashe had only notched just seconds before went soaring through the air. The arrow pierced the fruit before flying off Tryndamere's head, sticking fast into the wooden weaponry shelf, twenty feet behind her husband.

Once he was sure she was only carrying one arrow with her, Tryndamere stood up sharply, his hands flying into the air with a rage. "What in hell's name was that for?! I should be the one that's pissed right now, but you don't see me, balancing apples on your head, just to see if I can **slice** it in half without harming you!"

The Frost Archer shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she held her bow in a tightened grip. "I was trying to show you I care I guess…" The woman's answer was so odd, that the rage visibly left Tryndamere's body as soon as it had entered. He was unaware of the woman's talk with his ursine companion – and all he knew was that his wife, after an upsetting night the night before, had come in, shot an apple off of his head, and acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. And now, she was trying to convince him her actions were out of some sick form of affection.

"What? How does that even – what?"

"You're well aware of how accurate my shot is. I was trying to show you I care about you. I care about you enough that the arrow struck the apple – and not your forehead. While this may be a political marriage, I still respect you as a person."

Tryndamere slowly approached Ashe, and while Ashe was hardly intimidated by her husband's appearance or his physicality, she couldn't help but feel small when he stood against her. Calloused fingertips brushed her own armored ones, while his other hand came up and brushed her hair gently from her face. Sighing softly the man closed his eyes momentarily before leaning forward. Tryndamere's lips placed a small chaste kiss upon his wife's forehead before he drew away. He expected the woman to immediately say that 'such formalities weren't necessary in a political marriage', but she remained quiet.

"What was that for?" Ashe finally spoke, eyeing Tryndamere suspiciously. She was no longer a girl, a young thing so easily flustered by a small move of affection. She wasn't a doe, easily scared by the smallest noise, but here she stood, her hands unconsciously fidgeting with the grip of her bow, and her heart racing.

"To say thank you."

"For?"

"For sparing my life I guess. And if I was ever handed a bow," the Barbarian king pressed his thumb against the woman's forehead, right where his lips had been seconds before, "That might have been my accidental mark rather than the apple." He chuckled softly.

Ashe pulled away from his touches, but returned a small smile to the man, "Stick with what you're good at. Leave the arrows up to me. There's a reason you have a sword."

* * *

Later that night, after an unproductive day, where Ashe was called away for the League, the meeting between the King, Queen and the Ursine was postponed another day, when Ashe came home, exhausted and utterly drained from the day's match. She retired early, leaving the two males to finally reunite and to talk as they had not met up until the late evening. The heavy trembling of metal echoed in the empty hall of the castle. Two companions walked in sync with each other - four heavy paws, and two heavy boots strolled the castle grounds at night. "Something seems to be on your mind." Volibear spoke heavily, even as a whisper his voice seemed like rolling thunder. "Do you want to talk?"

"Ashe shot an arrow at me today." Tryndamere gave up the information rather quickly, but the news came to such a shock that Volibear stopped in mid-walk to simply stare in shock at Tryndamere. The man spoke of battle stories with either such rage, or such gaiety, but to talk about an arrow being shot at him so nonchalantly – it was quite unusual for the bear to hear. "She placed an apple on my head, and proceeded to shoot an arrow at it. Of course, it struck the apple, as I'm still standing here before you." Even if Ashe had only been introduced by name, her true shot was always her reclaiming trait. But this was the first time, aside from hunting stories that Volibear had heard of Ashe's shot firsthand. Ashe never boasted about battles at the League as her husband did, and it had been ages since he had heard a story revealing Ashe's shot.

"Perhaps she was trying to prove a point?"

"Yes, her point being that she could kill me before I could even advance fifty feet upon her." Tryndamere let out a small laugh as the two proceeded their walk. "She said she did it to prove she respected me."

Volibear let out a small rumbling laugh, his head dropping low for a moment to try to stifle the booming noises. "Sometimes, I swear – I don't know what goes through that woman's head."

"I **never** know what's going on in her head."

* * *

That night, Tryndamere went to bed with his wife sharing the bed with him, but not before he checked to make sure the woman's bow was safely stored away outside and out of reach. The last thing he needed was a bunch of 'care and respect' sticking out of his forehead in the morning.

**A/N:** A longer chapter this time around! Yes, I do read your reviews. There was a lot of dialogue in this chapter. But sometimes – uh, well the saying goes actions speak louder than words. But Ashe's actions kind've just translate to her being crazy. So think of it, what you will reader!;; Haha, the reviews are much appreciated!

P.S. For those who understand where the name of the Chapter came from, good on you. C:  
P.P.S. Ashe's apple line is my favorite line to spam in game while waiting for minions to spawn.


	4. Expectations

The council consisted of men; gathered at the long oaken table, men from tribes all about the region sat, chatted, and drank merrily amongst one another. When Ashe, Tryndamere, and Volibear entered the room, the chatter did not cease. They were all on the same playing field, all lords and leaders – no one's voice overlapped another's. No one was greater than another person – until it came to the seating. Tryndamere found his seat easily at the head of the table, and Volibear by his right – whereas Ashe found herself standing. "Someone make room for the Queen." Tryndamere announced his voice easily silenced the room; all eyes were upon him in seconds.

"King Tryndamere? Did you just bring your wife for show?" A lord stood when he spoke, staring eye to eye with Tryndamere as he questioned the King's command.

"She's to participate in this conversation just as much as anyone else here. Had we not wed, she would be allotted a seat."

"But you two are wed, therefore you have taken her seat."

"I said to get her a cha-"

"It's fine." Ashe lifted the excess fabric of her dress before bowing her head slowly. "Clearly any useful idea I could offer, would not be of any use to a council of men." She snapped softly before exiting the room, leaving her venom to seep into the egos of the men.

* * *

Ashe busied herself outside, even in her finest gown; the woman donned her gauntlets and proceeded into the snow. While Tryndamere had his swords – Ashe had her bow and her arrows. They had never failed to comfort her, and this time was no different.

After hearing the story of Ashe's arrow habit, Volibear followed the Queen's footsteps in the snow, as noisily as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was startle the woman after her morning had already started so dreary. When he was finally within ten feet of the archer, it was apparent by the sheer amount of arrows that pierced the target that the meeting had taken several hours, and for every minute, Ashe had shot an arrow. "You know quite well, making that ruckus isn't going to deter me from hitting the target." Ashe's voice quivered as she spoke. "Now, are you going to tell me what was so important I be ushered from the room?"

"It was about you."

"That's a first." She paused. "Well, do you plan on telling me? Or have you just come out to watch me?"

"Have you and Tryndamere been intimate?"

That shot – Ashe missed. Ashe missed it completely, the arrow stuck fast to a nearby tree as the Frost Archer whipped around sharply. "Excuse me?" Volibear wasn't entirely sure if the flush to Ashe's cheeks was from the cold, or her embarrassment. "O-Of course we haven't." She muttered angrily. "Why does it matter?"

"You can't tell me you didn't see this coming?" Volibear's facial expression, though slightly limited by the amount of snow that clung to his dirty white fur, made the idea obvious.

"It's – It's so soon, I'm young. This isn't a time where I'm going to die early. The simple question of the idea is appalling to me."

"You may be young, but an heir would show you're committed to this marriage, and that this lineage will continue on. This is also a time where we need strength."

"I gave him my hand, and my promise!" Ashe nearly screamed. It wasn't often that the Frost Archer lost her 'cool'. It had nearly been unheard for Ashe to break down, to cry, to even see blinding rage – she had closed those off. She had closed almost everything off since joining the League, her connections to other people – everything. To be efficient on the field, one had to hone themselves, close off the things that would cause pain and hurt them in the long run.

"A great leader makes great sacrifices for their kingdom."

"I've sacrificed everything. What has he sacrificed?" Ashe punctuated the last sentence, her eyes narrowing dangerously at the bear. Between the Queen and the bear, it seemed that even against an armored bear, Ashe was the fiercer competitor.

* * *

That night while Tryndamere lay up in bed, a book in hand, Ashe sat in front of him, her brush sliding slowly through her silver locks. She seemed lost in thought, and the Barbarian King knew better than to disturb his wife's thoughts. Instead he leaned further back observing the woman's motions his eyes barely reading the text in front of him. While everyone had pegged Tryndamere as a mindless brute, even he enjoyed relaxing before bed with a book in hand. What was the point of training the body if the mind was weak?

When it seemed that all Ashe was going to do was to continue to brush her hair, Tryndamere's eyes slowly dropped, and his attention turned back to the book. But just as soon as his mind started to concentrate on the text, Ashe stood up rather sharply, pushing the cushioned seat back in a single motion and turned to face him. Before he could speak, he watched Ashe's hands glide slowly up her figure, her fingertips sliding across the smooth fabric of the white robe she wore. Her nimble fingers worked silently undoing the single tie that held the garment upon her frame. Ashe allowed the robe to slide slowly off of her frame, revealing the porcelain skin that even the snow would be jealous of. Her long silver hair curled just slightly under her bosom, which she didn't even bother trying to cover up in modesty. Even after many battles the woman's only scar on her body was a mark that extended across the right side over three of her ribs. She had never felt so open, so vulnerable. It felt foreign to her; it felt like giving an enemy the weapon while she dropped her own.

But did she really consider Tryndamere her enemy?

"What are you doing?" Tryndamere asked sharply.

That wasn't quite the reaction Ashe was expecting…

She was a sight to see, but he had **always** respected Ashe's privacy, she bathed alone, dressing in the bathroom with the door securely locked. He never touched her for fear that she'd flinch under his touch. And here she was, standing in their dimly lit room offering herself to him like a cheap street whore.

"Put your robe on."

"You were at the meeting today-"

"I know what they expect out of you. I'm not dense." Tryndamere sat up slowly, the white sheets sliding off of his bare chest as he folded his hands in his lap, his book was cast aside. He didn't bother asking how Ashe sated her curiosity about the meeting and he wouldn't deny that she was beautiful, but while Tryndamere was a brute, that didn't mean he lacked self-restraint. He was a warrior after all, contrary to popular lore of his battling skills; the only time his rage flew out of control was when he was attacked first. This wasn't an attack, if anything this could be a peace offering, but even that he refused. "Just because they expect that out of you, doesn't mean I expect you to offer yourself to me. I don't expect you to pretend that you're not the woman I married, by swapping into a persona of a loose woman."

His words were harsh; while they had had moments where they disagreed, (they had had **many **moments where they disagreed) their bitter words were never pointed at one another. Gathering her robe off the ground, Ashe slipped it back on in silence. "Then what do you want from me?" She asked, her voice clearly stressed. Her fingertips clutched the edges of her robe.

"If you want something, I want you to want it on your terms. This is hardly on your terms." Tryndamere spoke slowly. "And I want you to love me on your own terms, not because we were forced to be together."

"Who said love has anything to do with this?"

"I did!" Tryndamere yelled his hand slamming down roughly onto the mattress. "Would you offer yourself to a man you didn't love? You're lowering yourself for something you don't even agree with! Don't do that!" Tryndamere shouted. The Barbarian King's shouting was so terrifying it even startled the maids outside of their room. They had heard of the man's temper, they had even faced it when they had interrupted meetings between Lords – but this, in the middle of the night, in a room where they knew only the Queen slept, left the maids frightened, and standing by the doorway in fear of things getting out of hand. "I married a strong willed woman. A prideful woman! A woman that could best any shot in the League –" Tryndamere heaved out a strong breath of anger, he could barely finish his sentence without feeling the rage course through his body.

Ashe stood in shock. Never had he raised his tone in such a manner to her, she immediately felt anxious just being in his presence. His words pierced her to the very core. When **had** she become this way? When did it seem that she lost her very ability to think for herself? When did the council decide her actions as a woman, and as a wife? She knew her duty as Queen came first, but when was she going to draw the line? Still startled, Ashe only stood in front of her armoire, her teeth nibbling bottom lip.

Throwing the sheets aside, Tryndamere was upon his feet, and within seconds by Ashe's side. His large hands cupped her trembling figure slowly, sliding across the thin cloth of her robe. His ministrations were slow and cautious as if he were afraid that she'd break even under his gentlest touch. And just to his disappointment, he felt his wife lift her hands calmly pressing them to his chest – only to push him away. "I don't like being pushed away." He muttered slowly, his hands dropping, "But I don't want to do anything that makes you unhappy."

"Then leave."

"Why does it make you so unhappy for me to be around?" Tryndamere's hands clenched into fists, balling tightly at his sides, "I want to do something that makes you happy, but why does everything that makes you happy exclude me?!"

Their bedroom had become more of a field of war than the League itself.

* * *

**A/N**: I-I've been getting a lot of comments about the depressing atmosphere between this couple, and I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing! I mean, I'm glad I can make my reader feel something, and that's my job as a 'writer' to manipulate emotions, but I'm not always such a 'sad' person.

I would just like to preface, I don't intend for this entire fic to be 'depressing', but arranged marriages aren't always happy endings. In my personal opinion, it's about making a sacrifice for something you or another party (often parents') see as one of the 'better choices' for a more fruitful future. I really enjoy writing with this couple, and I hope you'll bear with me until the end.

Oh the irony that I say this, and post another sad chapter...

Thank you for the reviews! 3

P.S

Sorry this chapter took so long, had some weird grammar issues where I thought everything sounded wrong. Oh, and I had finals to deal with.

P.P.S.

I really want to write a fanfic between Sona and Lee Sin, I've seen very few pairings about them, but I haven't found a worthwhile fanfic about the two. But I'm afraid to get too sidetracked off of this story. But what do you guys think of the pairing? Yay or nay?


	5. Exit Wounds

"You don't make me unhappy!" Ashe shouted back. Her hands clenched around the edges of her robe.

"You sure don't seem fucking happy with me right now!"

"You just denied me sleeping with you!"

"Did you even want to in the first place!?" Tryndamere looked at Ashe. Their eyes locked, and the pure stress of their argument, filled the room with a heavy tension. He knew the answer to his own question. "I just want to make you happy." The Barbarian king sighed, "I feel like every step I take towards you opening up to me, you take two steps back and close yourself even further. I don't know what you're so afraid of; I'm not going to hurt-"

"Who said I was afraid?"

"You're acting like a woman with a chip on her shoulder." The King snapped. Stepping forward, Tryndamere approached Ashe carefully, watching her every move, his eyes gracing her chest, watching the rise and fall of her bosom quicken as he closed in upon her. "You're acting like-"

Ashe stepped forward, her eyes determined, angry almost as she grasped the man's shoulders roughly as if that one action would make her words clearer, "I'm acting like what? Go on. Say it." She growled at the man.

"Around me, you might as well be your sister."

"Take that back!" Ashe barked. She hadn't been entirely sure what Tryndamere's answer was going to be when she threw the question out, but the answer – the answer she heard, she absolutely despised. It was probably the most anger he had ever seen from her. And Ashe knew which 'sister' Tryndamere was referring to. Sejuani – The Winter's Claw, who certainly lived up to her name. She was a truly frigid woman, who cared about nothing more than herself. Cold and removed from the world, she was the reason Ashe even had stories about 'surviving an assassination'. "I'm nothing like her!"

"Really now?" Tryndamere removed Ashe's hands. He was headstrong on making his point this time, while he had backed down from fights in the past in fear of how Ashe would react, Tryndamere looked at the Frost Archer – what did he have to lose? This woman would barely let him touch her, much less did she even trust him. He wasn't backing down now. "Where you made peace, she made destruction, where I try and make peace, all you want to do is make waves. Where you've been patching up and trying to start anew, she's ripping the wound further. What other metaphors must I use?"

"**ENOUGH!**"

Volibear had heard the couple's argument well from down the hall in the guest chambers he had been offered for the night. He had ignored it, insisted to himself that it was none of his business, and that it was a couple's argument – something he had no experience in. But this – this yelling, screaming, the anger that was built up in one room, finally pushed the ursine from his own room and in to the King and Queen's.

Both sets of royal eyes looked at the bear in disbelief. "Volibear, I believe we can handle things... Please retire – we will be quieter for your sake." Ashe murmured softly her eyes quivering slightly from the bear's tired expression to the fearful ones of the maids that were pushed aside from the doors.

"You clearly can't handle anything on your own." The bear snarled. Tryndamere opened his mouth to speak up, but then the bear turned on him as well. "And you can't either. You lose your temper, but you don't have enough steam to tell her what you really mean. And back to you! Queen Ashe… "The proper title didn't soften the blow of Volibear's temper in the slightest. "Tryndamere is right; you have such a kind heart… But it freezes over in front of him. "

"You don't know the entirety of it!" Ashe yelled at the bear. She was overwhelmed, never had she had to consciously process all of her feelings all at once, and now they were just hitting her like her Enchanted Crystal Arrow struck an enemy – it struck deep and painful in her chest.

"I know both of you, and that in itself is enough information. Don't tell me I don't know enough. Your husband may not challenge your word, but I will." The bear snarled. Tryndamere was not a weak man by any means, and the ursine meant no harm from his words, but even Volibear could see that if the words came from Tryndamere it would only harm the situation further. "He loves you. Tryndamere loves you. How is that so hard to understand?"

"How can he possibly even love me? This is a political marriage, a hand in hand relationship to show the public that we're committed to making things right. This is all about politics, how a couple can come together and unite kingdoms. How can a man that was forced to marry me after not even knowing me for a full month – even **begin** to love me?"

"I don't know how he can myself! While you may be kind to your subjects and an independent, strong leader for your kingdom…" Volibear paused, unsure with himself on where to keep going on the subject. "You've been running things on your own for a while; I can see why you're so fiercely independent. But I can also see that the League has taken a heavy toll on you – one day you can be fighting alongside an ally, the next day you're pitted against one another. I can see why you depend so much upon yourself, but - but inside you're nothing but a stubborn little girl who's afraid to lean on someone because she's afraid going to fall down and realize no one is going to help her up. Especially since she's been so used to picking herself up without any assistance from others." Ashe stared flabbergasted at Volibear, shocked at the pure truth that came from the snarling maw of the bear. "Now please sort yourselves out before I show one of you how easily a fool and his head are easily parted!"

With little to no goodbye, and as quick as he entered, the bear swiftly left and promptly slammed the doors to his chambers for the night. If they wanted to kill each other over an argument he would feel no guilt now – he had said his piece.

* * *

It had taken a couple moments for the entirety of the situation to settle in, but soon Ashe found herself settled upon the edge of the bed, her knuckles gripping the sheets tightly afraid that if she let go, somehow she would simply slip off the face of the world. Everything Volibear had said to her, and even Tryndamere on previous occasions - was true. It was unsettling to realize what she had become, that she had allowed herself to slowly slip into the role of the villain. To cast aside whatever emotion she had felt, whether it be good or bad and to lock it away, throwing away the key - hoping she'd never see it, or feel it again. All of this rushed through her tired mind, even if her mind was almost too exhausted to even process it all. But even with her head downcast she could see that with tired eyes Tryndamere watched over her carefully almost calculating her next move. She listened intently, listening to him as he shifted closer to her, the Barbarian King hesitantly crouched down in front of her, looking up into the woman's eyes without a word. Tired eyes locked as Tryndamere reached up slowly brushing the silvery locks of hair from her face. Ashe searched the gruff man's face for any more traces of anger, for any sight of resentment, of hatred towards how she had treated him over the course of their marriage. She found none.

And right there, at that very moment, in the dark of their room, with messy hair, and dying tempers, Tryndamere and Ashe shared their very first kiss where Ashe pulled him closer instead of pushing him away.

**A/N: **The first portion of this was left out of my last chapter, mostly because it seemed to have a bit of closure to their argument, and I didn't want to end my last chapter on that. XD; Sorry for the delay on the writing, I just started a new quarter for classes, and bugh! I'm already tired. Your reviews and support are greatly appreciated!

P.S.  
I'm still getting comments about how depressing this is, but I'm not going to let that deter me. Sometimes you have to have a little bit of rain before sunshine. I'm glad for those who are bearing through this story.

P.P.S

I totally finished this chapter at about… 4am in the morning whilst writing on my laptop in the dark. Forgive any blatant errors that I might've just skimmed over.


	6. Unexpected

Tryndamere woke first – per usual, he was an early riser, except this time around, the Barbarian King found an unsettling, but nonetheless peaceful vision. Ashe slept soundly, her eyes fluttering every so often as her breathing kept steady. It was unusual for either partner to wake with the other in the bed still, and Tryndamere treasured it. He watched her quietly his lips pursing as he contemplated simply reaching out to touch her cheek, but he feared that even though his intentions were kind, he wouldn't be able to touch her without harming her or waking her. But despite his better judgment, Tryndamere watched his hand reach out as he stroked his wife's cheek gently, and even to his best ability, Ashe still stirred under his 'gentle' caress.

"Hm?" Ashe's eyes fluttered open slowly. She was a light sleeper; one always had to be when senses were as fine-tuned as her own. Tryndamere carefully reached out, grabbing onto his wife's hand gently, and though they had made progress the night before, Ashe withdrew her hands slowly, but still gave the man a smile. "I don't want a baby quite yet." She murmured sleepily.

The Barbarian King looked down at his wife and only shook his head slowly. "Just because a council of men say you must bear a child doesn't mean I must bed you the night of their decision. We will be married for many prosperous years, an heir can wait."

"And what if I don't want a child?" Ashe's pale hand reached out, rubbing her eyes delicately to wake herself further. "What will you do with me then?"

"You will have an heir." Tryndamere murmured. There was no demand behind his voice, both parties were well aware of the strain a child would put on their already overbearing relationship. "You care about your people too much to leave a legacy without an heir. It will come in due time."

Ashe snorted softly as she rolled over out of their bed, stumbling ungracefully to her feet. This was the side no one saw of Ashe, the clumsy, the tired, the unsorted Ashe – the very human Ashe. This was Tryndamere's Ashe and he enjoyed every moment of it. Watching Ashe stumble to the door, the silver haired archer was in the midst of opening their door when she suddenly stopped all movement and continued to stare down at the floorboards. "Something wrong?" Tryndamere quipped from their bed.

"Volibear, I can see your claws under our door." Indeed, the tips of the large ursine's claws were poking just beneath the door – stealth was certainly not the Rolling Thunder's strength.

Within seconds the door swung open slowly as the armored bear trumped in. "I must apologize for last night, I interfered with a situation I was not a part of, and I deserve the consequence." Volibear's armor clanked quietly as he shifted uneasily. While his platonic relationship with the couple was open, the bear had spent the good hours of the night wondering if he had done the right thing. But Ashe's hand upon his forehead immediately reassured the bear that what he had done had been right all along.

"Ease your mind." Ashe murmured, "We both appreciate your honest words, regardless of how ferocious they sounded as a roar."

"I am eased my Queen." Volibear nodded his head slowly. "Tryndamere?" The bear turned his attention to Tryndamere, "The League has called upon us, my leave will be delayed one more night I believe. The ursine at home will have to make do without me for one more night." The bear grumbled softly. "I believe Summoners must think we work better together and worthless apart. This is the third battle this week we've been summoned upon." Ashe seemed hopeful at the news, until Volibear's shoulders sagged slightly, along with his tone, "You have not been called upon…" Volibear spoke carefully, and Ashe's shoulders too, sagged. "Not every summoner can appreciate your prowess."

"Thank you Volibear. I will meet you outside at the gates in a few." The ursine retreated, closing the door behind him. Until Volibear's armor could no longer be heard from down the hall, Tryndamere finally spoke again, his fingertips drawing invisible circles in the sheets. "You'll be called upon soon. I won't lie though, it's comforting to know you're safe at home."

"I am not your typical Queen. I fight for my people just as well as the King does."

"If not better." Tryndamere pulled himself from the bed, slicking his hair back as he ambled to their closet. Donning a pair of pants, the man smirked as Ashe shook her head calmly.

"You would think as a warrior you would consider being more protective of yourself. Perhaps a shirt…" Ashe murmured eyeing their closet, noticing that the only shirts Tryndamere owned were for formal events, or for sleep during colder months (because believe it or not, even though Freljord was known for its snow, it managed to get colder than the constant state of snow).

"You wear a dress and you call my attire inappropriate." Tryndamere laughed heartily to Ashe's annoyance, but she retorted with nothing. As Tryndamere sauntered over to the doorframe, in obvious good spirits he turned on his heel and smirked playfully at his wife. Maybe he was pushing his luck, but it wouldn't hurt to try right? "Perhaps after last night, I could receive something for good luck?" Tryndamere's jut his cheek out slightly as if signaling the Frost Archer to place a kiss upon it. Ashe didn't move toward the King, but rather walked over to the side of her bedside, and pulled out a handkerchief. Reaching out, she pressed the soft, silky white cloth to Tryndamere's cheek instead.

"Don't get it dirty."

Tryndamere grasped the handkerchief and smiled, tying the fancy piece of cloth to the belt loop of his pants. "Old fashioned, but I'll take it. I guess I have to earn my praise." Tryndamere mused as he headed towards their armory to suit up better before heading to the League.

* * *

Ashe muttered irritably to herself as she gathered her quiver and bow before heading into the snow. With her husband gone and the castle empty Ashe turned to… You guessed it, her archery. Drawing the arrow back slowly Ashe shot the arrow and in seconds was watching it pierce the target cleanly. It was a typical shot from Ashe, but this time, Ashe felt no stimulation from the shot, no happiness, no feeling of success, but rather Ashe found herself anxious. Archery brought such joy to her, and now, Ashe found herself teetering in the snow. She felt empty. Arming another arrow, Ashe hesitated on the second shot; something was in the air… Something was moving fast, whizzing right past her shoulder and striking the air right beside her head.

Falling into the snow, Ashe barely caught herself before a breath of hot air blasted upon her face followed by a fearful roar. Ashe found herself face to face with a demonic boar face. What Ashe hadn't realized was that she had just narrowly dodged the incoming strike of the mace of the boar rider. "Bristle! Calm yourself!" The voice that commanded the large boar that pounded the snowy earth was commanding, powerful…

"Sejuani." Ashe grasped at the loose snow beneath her, barely able to pull herself to her feet. "I forbade you to enter my kingdom unless your aim was for peace!" Ashe's hands flailed blindly looking for her bow in the whirling snow around them.

"Does this look like peace to you!?" The voice laughed, even with so much spite behind it. "Look what you've done to this kingdom. A kingdom that has experienced no hardship is a weak one." Sejuani dismounted her boar in an easy leap. Her heavy boots, caused the snow to fly up around the two, but her mace caused a flurry of snow to rise as it landed heavily upon the ground. How the Winter's Wrath had approached her so quietly without her even noticing… Ashe didn't even know, but all she could think about was the amount of adrenaline pumping through her body as she struggled to her feet, kicking up snow into Sejuani's face in the process. Bristle trampled the earth beneath him, his anger amplified by his rider's own malevolence. "Where is your weak spouse? Not around to protect you? Your servants?"

"He's at the League." Ashe spat angrily. "But I do not need his protection."

"You don't do you?" Sejuani sneered lifting the large mace shaft upon her shoulder if her weapon were simply a twig. Her shield hung valiantly upon Bristle's saddle clattering each time the boar stamped his heavy feet upon the ground. The Winter's Wrath, unlike Ashe wore her scars as if they were clothing, from the broken horn upon her helmet to the criss crosses down her muscular legs. Sejuani swung without warning her mace whizzing through the air, just barely missing Ashe's head as she leapt backwards out of its range. "For a Queen that spends her time indoors you've still got rather quick reflexes." Sejuani mused.

Ashe bounced further backwards before sliding her hand through the snow, her fingertips curling around her bow finally as she drew an arrow, firing straight at Bristle. The arrow clipped the edge of the boar's ear causing the bovine to squeal loudly, but even that only lasted seconds before Bristle let out a menacing roar once more in retaliation.

Whilst in the League, the League enhanced the abilities of champions, it made the battle more interesting, gave the summoners something to think about when a champion was under their control. Some champions came with their own skills, and the League simply altered them to keep the field even, but champions such as Ashe, who was only human, were granted abilities upon entering the League. No longer were her arrows graced with frost, now they were just steel tipped arrows that pierced flesh and that for now – would have to do.

Ashe notched another arrow, but before she could fire it, she felt a sharp jolt in her shoulder, as Sejuani withdrew her mace. Blood dribbled into the snow beneath Ashe as she grasped her shoulder, her body sagging in pain, and her breathing came out in ragged, heavy breaths. How had she been struck so fast? With such a heavy weapon nonetheless? Sejuani had the upper hand in this fight; Ashe was so used to fighting her battles from afar, her skills at close combat suffered tremendously. Staggering backwards, Ashe gripped her shoulder momentarily before skipping backwards out of range of Sejuani's angry swings. "I retract my previous statement; you're still sub-par compared to my abilities. You're not much without the League are you?" Sejuani laughed hiking the mace upwards once more, "No respawn out here. When you die – you die for real." Sejuani swung the mace downward to finish the job she came here to do, but this time, the mace struck the earth, and the Winter's Wrath found herself staring face to face with the Frost Archer.

"How dare you? You come into my kingdom disrupt the peace I've established- and threatened my rule? You're nothing but a disgrace!"

"I do more than threaten it." Sejuani growled her mace swinging in the air above her head once more. "I intend to end your rule!" The woman allowed her emotions to rule her actions. Her anger, her spite, and thirst for revenge for a throne that she had always believed was rightfully hers. Ashe jumped backwards away from the swing. Notching another arrow from her quiver Ashe fired it again at the boar, this time striking in a more vital point, striking the edge of the boar's nose causing it to snort and roar in anger as the arrow lodged itself in the sensitive flesh. "Bristle!" Sejuani ordered as she tried to calm the enraged boar down as it swung its massive tusks around in pain. Before Sejuani could calm the giant beast, Bristle's tusk knocked the woman from her steadfast footing and into the snow.

Ashe immediately took advantage of the situation by locking another arrow in, aiming right at the vulnerable woman beneath her as she stood above Sejuani. "Don't move." She commanded.

"You think an arrow will scare me? You can barely kill Bristle with your shot."

"If my intentions were to kill your animal, he would already be dead."

"You mean like Quero?"

Quero was Ashe's hawk – he **was **her hawk, her training partner – she had a relationship with the hawk the same way Quinn did with Valor, though because Ashe's only knowledge of Quinn was through story she believed her relationship with Quero was deeper. He was her scout, he gave her vision, and it was even rumored that what Quero saw, Ashe saw. Sejuani saw this, the relationship between a warrior and their animal, it was the same she had with Bristle. She had seen the boar's brute strength and immediately saw herself in the animal – what Ashe saw in a puny, fast bird, Sejuani could understand Ashe's 'poor' choice. And when the two women were younger, Sejuani had sought out the bird, to prove that Ashe was the weaker sibling. She had sent many men for one bird, and had even gone out of her way to find it. The bird had its wings clipped, the one thing that made the animal so powerful now suddenly made it helpless, and later the powerful animal was simply served within a broth to the poor, under the guise that the hawk was simply a game hen. Sejuani had proved to herself and her followers how easy it was to make something believed to be so powerful could be taken down in more prevailing hands. When Ashe had found out, she mourned her companion, but it was against the Frost Archer's nature to take revenge upon the woman.

"At least I can follow through." Sejuani sneered angrily.

Ashe released the arrow, which landed centimeters from Sejuani's cheek. The boar rider stared up at Ashe, but before she could retort anything she felt a trickle of blood from her cheek. The arrow had narrowly sliced her cheek. "Now. Leave." Ashe growled, as she nudged her foot under the Winter's Wrath's helmet removing her head protection and revealing the woman's face. "Regardless of how much you deny it, this arrow will kill you if it strikes."

Without hesitating, Sejuani drew her head upwards, landing a powerful headbut under Ashe's chin, knocking the archer backwards. She had closed the gap between herself and Ashe, and as an archer, the woman's hand to hand combat was weak. "You're so merciful my Queen." Sejuani snarled. Closing the gap between the two, and with Ashe holding her chin, and her bow within the snow, this left the Frost Archer open and vulnerable for the knife that dug into the flesh above her hip. "All hail the Queen." Sejuani snarled as she twisted the knife further into Ashe, before shoving the Queen off of the sharp object. Ashe fell back into the snow, gripping her hip and gasping in pain. Mounting the boar Sejuani kicked her heels into its sides, before disappearing into the surrounding forest. There was no point in giving Ashe a fast death – Sejuani was much too cruel for that. And in all honesty, the boar rider was simply hoping she'd get lucky – perhaps the archer would simply just freeze to death. To Sejuani that seemed fitting for Ashe.

Tryndamere and Volibear found Ashe covered in a layer of snow, hours later.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry this took so long, midterms came and went – and then I got distracted the Freljord Event on League! And then – I got a job! *gasp* The second part to this chapter is already written and will be posted tomorrow. For once, I'm ahead. But it seemed like a good clincher to end where it ended. x)

I did some reading on Sejuani and I noticed she has two names, either the Winter's Wrath or the Winter's Claw. I'm not entirely sure which one was her title, so I've been using both interchangeably. If you know more than I do, feel free to say something in a review.

Also, I have a new story in the works! It should be up in a week. C: It's only a one-shot, so Ashe and Tryn are still my main writing priority.

P.S.

I've checked my emails so many times, thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and favorites! It means the world to me that you guys enjoy my writing.

**R&R**


	7. Safety

The sheets were soaked with blood, sweat, tears… and had been changed over four times the past eight hours Ashe had been lying in bed. Ashe woke up panting, sweat dribbled across her brows, but as soon as the Frost Archer sat up, she let out a silent cry of pain and immediately her hands took to her side, grasping blindly at the open wound. "You should be resting." The calm voice startled Ashe, and rather than calm herself, the Queen looked around her room wildly, her other hand clenching at the sheets beneath her. "You've been out for some time."

On a rather large perch near the window sat Anivia. The Cryophoenix nestled in her icy feathers looked at Ashe calmly. "It's rare to be this close to one of you. Honestly the next time I intended to see any of you sisters would've been at the death of one of you."

"Well that's certainly comforting." Ashe hissed calmly as she continued to clutch her side.

"I mean no harm in it, but that was a foolish move to be outside alone."

"It's been a while since I've seen her last. She's grown strong. Her last attempt – could barely even be called an attempt." Ashe shuddered slightly her mind recalling the sting in her shoulder where Sejuani's mace had struck. "She's a brute. Nothing but pure strength, she simply caught me off guard."

"All the more reason to be cautious and yet you leave the castle grounds unattended and without Tryndamere home."

"My battle isn't Tryndamere's battle." Ashe sat up, slower this time, careful of her entire right side. The wound in her hip had opened once more, and the bandages that wrapped it, darkened with blood.

"He is your husband, anything you stumble into; you drag him into as well regardless of how separate you wanted to keep the two of your situations. Speaking of which, he hasn't left your bedside for the past days. He just recently left to grab something to eat – I'm pretty sure he would starve himself until you woke. Volibear had to take his leave, the ursine tribe is weak without him, regardless of how much they think they can handle just based on brute strength they need their leader back, but he wishes for a letter the moment you wake. Perhaps I should send a messenger out…" The bird clacked her beak together for a moment her feathers rustling slightly when she moved upon her perch. After a moment of silence the phoenix eyed Ashe carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Ashe sat up slightly, but before she could even straighten her back, her eyes became glassy and Ashe found herself letting out a small cry. But even after the cry, Ashe continued to try and straighten her posture, trying with so much difficulty just to sit up properly. With each movement, more tears rushed to Ashe's eyes. It was obvious how much pain the woman was in, in such simple motions.

"Don't rush yourself."

"I'm not weak!"

"Stop trying to be Sejuani." Anivia's last comment was harsh and as icy as the bird's wings. "Sejuani believes any form of weakness is a bad thing. You're human; believe it or not you're a fragile creature. You do not have the ability of rebirth. You don't have the armor of the ursine. Stop forcing yourself."

Ashe's body immediately went limp as she let out a giant gasp of breath. The amount of effort Ashe had to put into simple movements left the woman breathless.

"I'm not trying to be her."

"Sejuani injured herself as a child, broke her wrist, she wielded her mace in a matter of a week. She forced herself to heal, to deal with the pain, do you really think that's healthy?" The phoenix approached Ashe without fear her piercing blue eyes glittering dangerously at Ashe. "Nevermind." She squawked softly before perching herself up on the foot of the bed, her claws gripping at the wood. "Now, for caring for you, would you mind doing me a favor? I have not rested for days, and this is the first secure place I have been in months."

* * *

Ashe held the egg close to her bosom, even for a cryophoenix egg, the shell radiated comforting warmth. "I'll keep you safe dear friend." She murmured into the shell her eyes closing slowly. Unlike the League, which sped up the healing the process in hopes to get the bird to battle faster, Anivia's actual rebirth took some minutes. But soon, in the dim light of the room, the tiniest sparkle caught Ashe's eye. The tiny twinkle lowered itself slowly onto the shell of the egg, and the moment the shell was graced by the sparkle, the room illuminated with light. A bright blue light enveloped the woman's resting room, but even that was only a flash of light, and Ashe found herself back in the dark room. Hugging the egg closer, Ashe noticed the slightest movement from the egg, and as she looked down the egg began to crack, bright blue lines crossing and sliding down the curvature of the egg. The egg was decorated in intricate patterns old, archaic writing that slid down to the base of the egg. Ashe placed the egg upon the sheets next to her as she watched Anivai's rebirth with awe. The egg slowly fell off piece by piece, and slowly the bird began to emerge from beneath the thin shell. Magnificent frozen wings spread, and soon the egg itself shattered and turned into nothing but dry snow that sparkled and landed upon the bed, but left no wet residue behind.

Anivia stretched her wings out before fluttering them as if making sure every icy feather was in place. She let out a relaxed sigh, her breast heaving slightly. "I feel much better. Many thanks." She murmured softly her eyes closing momentarily. "It's been much too long, any longer and I would've been vulnerable to attack." The cryophoenix eyed Ashe, "I believe I sense Tryndamere approaching. I shall take my leave as well; you will recuperate in a week or two. I left herbs with the apothecary, take them religiously."

"Wait." Ashe reached out, touching the bird's feathers, stroking the cool texture beneath her fingertips, "Is that really –" She didn't want to finish her sentence. She wanted to ask if a simple stab was the only thing Sejuani had come for, but she didn't want to test it.

"I believe the target Sejuani was aiming for was lower."

Reaching down, Ashe shuddered slightly – she had been stabbed around the hip bone, and then she understood. "She wanted to – make it impossible to bear an heir."

"A couple inches to the left and down, and you would never be able to birth an heir."

Pursing her lips together, Ashe lowered her head slightly her eyes closing slightly. Sejuani didn't want to kill Ashe, she wanted to have her removed from the throne by her own people. Her inability to bear an heir would spell disaster to the healing Freljord kingdom, there would be no future for her rule, and people would be swayed by Sejuani.

"Thank you Anivia." Ashe murmured softly removing her hands from the cryophoenix's feathers, as Anivia only nodded her beak towards the Frost Archer. "I wish to see you again, but not on my deathbed." She smiled softly, watching Anivia approach the window, undoing the latch with her talons before the graceful bird took flight without another word. She would make no promises she could keep. She would lay her life on the line to keep Ashe alive – but if the woman continued to make foolish, independent decisions rather than alliances, Anivia could not promise that the next time she saw Ashe would be on happier terms.

* * *

Tryndamere knocked quietly his forehead pressed upon the cool wood of the door. He had been worried about his wife, and had evaded every form of food since Ashe had been brought in, and every time he had come into her chambers, she was sleeping. She would stir every so often, a groan of pain, or she'd attempt to move in her sleep – but nothing that indicated to Tryndamere that she was okay. But this time, when Tryndamere opened her door, he saw Ashe staring bleary eyed at the open window. "Anivia took her leave?" He spoke quietly watching Ashe nod as he reached out, closing the window slowly, latching it back shut to make sure the woman did not catch a chill. He advanced upon her carefully, his hands reaching out, as if to make sure she really was there in front of him, "I was worried." Tryndamere murmured softly as he approached Ashe. "I shouldn't have left."

"Don't start with me." Ashe growled trying to draw her knees closer to herself, but only hissing in pain with every movement. She had managed to sit up properly, but that was as far as she had gotten. "I'm not a fragile princess in need of protection from her knight."

"I – I'm not calling you incompetent, but perhaps she wouldn't have – this wouldn't have happened."

"No, perhaps you would've been the one that was stabbed instead of me."

Tryndamere ignored Ashe's last comment, his wife was known for her true shot, not her brute strength, while Tryndamere was quite the opposite. "May I sit?" Tryndamere motioned at the open side of Ashe's bed, and watched in silence as his wife, maneuvered herself painfully closer to the middle of the bed. Settling himself on the edge of the bed, Tryndamere reached tentatively over and stroked the woman's cheek, brushing away the silvery bangs that stuck to her forehead. "I'm just thankful you're alive."

"You and me both. It's not like I wish for my death at the hands of my own sister," Ashe sighed her eyes closing under Tryndamere's touch. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she felt safe and secure with him around. Without noticing it, Ashe had fallen back into a comfortable sleep, and as Tryndamere tried moving himself away from Ashe, he felt a tentative hand around his wrist, holding him steady, silently asking him to stay with her into the night. Tryndamere smiled slightly before lifting the sheets and sliding himself behind Ashe. Careful where his hands wrapped around, Tryndamere hugged Ashe as close as he could without harming her, placing small blind kisses upon her shoulder and any open skin.

It was just reassuring to know as long as he held her, he could keep her safe.

* * *

**A/N:** I know it's not obvious from the previous chapters, but I really do like fluff. So here's some cotton. Or something.

Also, I didn't post this on time, I'm sorry – clearly real life reared its ugly head and wouldn't let me post.

And per usual, thank you so much for your support in the form of reviews, favorites, and follows. I really appreciate it.


	8. Update

I'm so sorry about this - this isn't a new chapter (obviously), but things came up in my personal life, and I haven't been able to post a new chapter in a pretty long time (clearly...). A new chapter is in the works, and by 'in-the-works' I mean, I've finished and reviewed four paragraphs worth of crap. I can assure you guys a new chapter will be posted within the next week.

Thank you to all my viewers/followers/favorite-ers. You guys make me proud of my work, and make me want to keep writing.


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